Lilac and Lavender For A 50’s Inspired Garden Party Wedding

Without any shadow of a doubt, the most popular era to have inspired the resurgence in vintage and vintage inspired bridal fashion in the past few years is the 1950s.  It’s possibly that the shape and silhouette of the full-circle 50’s style gowns are so flattering on so many body shapes, but it’s also just so much fun to twirl around in a dress like that!

English Teacher Linda married James on 24th April at Kilshane House, Tipperary, Ireland.  The couple were assisted on the day by Claire at White Sage Events Company.  I simply adore Linda’s 50’s inspired gown, so it came as no surprise to find out it was created by one of my favourite bespoke dressmakers, Joanne Fleming.

“There were a couple of things that were important to us when we began planning our wedding day – we both knew we didn’t want a traditional church style wedding and that we wanted a venue that was ours for the day. I suppose the theme was 50’s afternoon tea/garden party but often we just picked things we liked and hoped it would all work together on the day!   Once the bridesmaids had chosen their dresses, we settled on a colour-scheme of lilac and lavender. The pastel shades were all in keeping with the theme.”

Photography Copyright (c) 2014, David McClelland

“Our paths first crossed in October 2005 in our local pub. We are from the same village, but didn’t really know each other. We never really spoke that night but ended up sharing a lift home with some friends and James ended up with my number.

A few texts were exchanged but nothing came of it until we were out one night in December and James asked could he kiss me. And that was it!”

“I was in my final year of an Arts Degree and James had started a job in Dublin. Fast forward to 2009, I had just graduated as a teacher and James was looking for a new job, so we moved to Wales. We lasted six months there before moving to Wigan. This is where we got engaged – in February 2011.

On New Years Day, James asked if I fancied going to look at engagement rings (that was the proposal!) and after two months of searching I eventually found the ring I wanted in a gorgeous vintage jewellers store in Southport. Unfortunately, around the same time James was diagnosed with cancer so wedding plans were put on hold. We moved home to Ireland during the summer of 2012, after James was back to full health, and we set about planning the wedding.  We fixed our date for April 2014.”

“James and I did the ‘first look’. It was funny because I hadn’t told anyone that we were doing it and when our families found out that morning they were all devastated that they weren’t going to see James’ reaction. For us, it was the best thing about the day – it gave us about 45mins together before the ceremony. And was probably the only real time we spent together.

We spoke about it at dinner, and James said for him it took away any nerves he had. It also allowed me to take in everything else when I was walking up the aisle. I wasn’t panicking searching for James face. We definitely recommend it – and the photographer has captured the reactions so we will always have them to share!”

“My dress was by Joanne Fleming and I purchased it from Vintage Bride in Dublin.  I cannot recommend this shop enough – Pamela is brilliant, she couldn’t do more for you. You can tell she has a genuine love for vintage dresses.  

Before visiting Vintage Bride, I had been to two other shops to try on dresses but nothing seemed right. There were a few possibilities but nothing definite. I was waiting for that moment, the one you grow up watching on films, the one where you realise you have just found your dress, but it wasn’t happening.”

“I was initially drawn to the lace trim at the bottom of the dress – I thought it added the finishing touch that was just a little bit different! I also loved that I was able to make those changes which made it special to me. It was definitely a dress to enjoy and I enjoyed every second of wearing it!”

“I didn’t really have an idea as to what style of dress I wanted. I loved the idea of a short dress but felt that maybe I didn’t have the height to carry it off. I was also conscious of my petite figure and didn’t want something that would swamp me. I also didn’t want to be carrying or pulling at a dress. After some further research I spotted this dress online and instantly thought ‘That’s my dress!’ I made an appointment at Vintage Bride and I knew immediately when I tried it on, I had found the dress. We made a couple of changes to the one in the shop to get it to look like the one you see in the pictures – such as the length of sleeves, the colour of the bow and the underskirt. We also added the lace trim at the end (it wasn’t on the sample in the shop but I had seen it in the picture).

I love vintage – my students would say ‘old-fashioned’ and I loved that this dress was a nod to that classic 50’s style.”

“Including lavender happened really by accident. I have always loved its fragrance and when the bridesmaids decided on lavender as one of their colours, we decided to use it in various places throughout the venue. I’m sure the fragrance coming from Buds and Berries office was amazing, as she created the lavender bunches for the table settings.  I also decided about two weeks before the wedding that the fountain needed some flowers and Felicity worked her magic there too, adding leaves and some vibrant hydrangeas. It looked beautiful. Guests are also still commenting on the quality of the flowers used on the dinner tables.

I also have to mention James’ Aunt who filled the birdcages with flowers for us. It wasn’t an easy job, but they looked gorgeous on the day and created a beautiful centre point for our ceremony.”

“Initially, I had three or four quotes that I was going to use dotted around the venue. But after spending many hours reading books and looking on the internet, I discovered I had enough to place one quote on each table. Each quote mirrored our idea of what love is and means and they were taken from modern and classical literature, as well as films.

The scrabble tiles were then used to show the table number. To complement the vintage accessories and décor, and to complete the overall look, we brought chiavari chairs and beautiful lace linens into the Orangerie.”

“We went with a civil ceremony, as we felt that it would be more personal and it allowed us the flexibility to put our own stamp on it. We had a tough few years between moving to the UK and James been diagnosed with cancer twice, so we just wanted a wedding that reflected us as a couple. The day was a celebration and our opportunity to thank our nearest and dearest for all the support they had given us.”

“The Honda 50 belonged to my granny, who sadly passed away last summer. It was actually my dad’s suggestion to use it, and, as it turns out, it wasn’t the bike’s first visit to Kilshane House. My nan apparently made many trips on the Honda 50 to Kilshane, to collect my uncle who worked there as a chef, many years previously. It was the perfect way to remember a very special lady.”

“We found Suzanne of Cocoamoiselle on the internet. We went to her showroom in Dublin, where she had many cakes on display and had a taster plate ready for us. We knew we wanted a birdcage shaped cake and we had seen a picture of one that Suzanne had made previously, so we went with that. All we had to decide on was the flavouring.

James loves chocolate and I love a victoria sponge, so we went with a tier of chocolate mud cake, a tier of vanilla and a tier of red velvet.”

“Our photographer was David McClelland. We booked Dave within a few days of deciding on our venue. I had seen a blog Dave created of a wedding at another venue we were looking at and knew that he was the photographer for us. I probably would have changed the date of the wedding if it turned out he wasn’t available.”

“For the first few minutes you are aware of Dave clicking away, but it doesn’t take long before it becomes part of everything else going on around you. There are many times throughout the day where we don’t remember seeing Dave and that was exactly what we wanted from our photographer. We look at some of the photos in our ‘sneak peek’ and we still can’t figure out when they were taken. He notices the details and creates shots that are unimaginable. He is definitely the biggest hit from our wedding according to our guests. They are amazed by the relaxed, unobtrusive approach he takes, while also managing to create some pretty amazing photos.”

“I booked Claire of White Sage Events Company for the ‘On the Day’ Wedding Day Planner Service she offered. I had clear ideas about how I wanted certain aspects of the day to look but I was also aware of how much extra pressure this would put on me in the lead up to the wedding.

I really wanted to enjoy those few days so this package was perfect. Claire didn’t just show up on the day, she was there in the lead up to the wedding if I had any questions or if I needed someone to bounce ideas off.”

“When it came to the venue, I initially had a few places in mind that I wanted us to go see, but when it came down to it, we only visited two. Kilshane House offered everything we wanted. We can’t say enough about the place and the staff. The setting is amazing – as soon as we drove in those gates, it felt like we could have been anywhere in Ireland (and not, a half hour from home). Everything from the food to the service was excellent and it all surpassed any expectations we had.

We also loved the idea of a cocktail drinks reception as we both love a cocktail or two. We decided to come up with our own signature drinks – a strawberry daiquiri for me and a long island ice-tea for James.”

“My hair stylist was my  usual hair stylist, Lorraine Browne and my make-up artist was Kate Rose Crean.  I can’t say enough about these two – my make-up was flawless and I am really grateful to Kate for persuading me to stick with my porcelain skin and not to give in to the temptation of using fake-tan.  Lorraine is super talented at up-styles and created authentic vintage looks for both me and my bridesmaids.”

“Our rings were from David Search Jewellers, Southport We got my engagement ring in this shop and even though we had moved home by the time it came to getting our wedding rings, I really wanted to return to the same place and get our wedding rings there. I knew I wanted a ring that had a similar band to that on my engagement ring, so it was an easy and quick decision.

James wasn’t sure about getting a ring. Initially he thought he would get a simple band as he wasn’t sure about wearing the ring after the wedding. However, when he started trying on some on he picked a band that was quite thick but had a matte effect and really liked it, so went with it!”

“My dad walked me down the aisle to a modern interpretation of the Bridal March, which was beautiful. Although all of the songs we chose had some meaning for us, the one we really focused on was the lighting of the candle after we had said our vows. We chose ‘Hold On’ by Michael Buble as not only is James a Buble fan but when we first heard it, I was in tears. It was the perfect song for us. It was our story, our relationship. We also decided that when we were leaving the room after the ceremony, we would aim to get the party started then.

We chose The Monkees ‘I’m a Believer’, it’s an upbeat song but it also had some significance.”

While living in Wigan we became Wigan Athletic supporters, and many of our family and friends would travel over and come to matches with us. One of the songs played at matches is ‘I’m a Believer’ and the phrase is often used by Wigan fans. We knew people would get the connection.”

“We kept our vows traditional – probably the only traditional thing about the whole day. We also picked three readings for our ceremony. The first was a Bob Marley quote – ‘He’s Not Perfect’, then we had ‘Union’ by Robert Fulghum and finally ‘Blessing of the Hands’.  I spent hours trawling through books and the internet looking for readings that represented our relationship and all we had been through. Eventually, I narrowed it down to six readings and I picked my top three. I asked James to then pick his top three and amazingly we matched.”

“We picked ‘He’s Not Perfect” because firstly we wanted to add an element of fun/humour into the ceremony and this reading did that. But also, we realise that we aren’t perfect and our relationship isn’t perfect but it works for us. Sometimes people spend so long looking for that perfect person or strive to create that perfect relationship, that they miss out on something/someone. It’s about appreciating the little things and working at it when things get tough.

“‘Union’ just summed up our journey to that point and I guess it explained what marriage meant to us. Marriage isn’t just about the wedding day itself or about what the future would hold. So much of what we have been through already has shaped us as a couple and has helped us to get to this point. Getting married was the easy bit – it was a natural step.

We heard ‘Blessing of the Hands’ at a friend’s wedding the year previously and we had just found out that James’s cancer had returned. I remember sitting there crying, thinking about everything we had been through and about everything we were about to face. This reading summed up everything I wanted to say to James but never had the words.”

“We came across florists Buds and Berries at the Spectacular Vintage Wedding Fair (the only wedding fair we went to) and I really liked a bouquet they had on display. After speaking with Felicity and after a couple of exchanges of pictures and emails we agreed on the flowers to be used. I had very little knowledge of flower types but Felicity knows her flowers and was able to offer many suggestions and advice. The bouquets were simply stunning. They were everything I wanted and more.”

“James wanted to wear something that was a little different. He picked up the navy Ted Baker tweed jacket from Louis Copeland around Christmas time. We went to get the groomsmen kitted out a few months later and James brought his jacket with him and in House of Fraser, Dublin, they created the outfit you see in the pictures.”

“Instead of wedding favours I collected vintage handkerchiefs for the ladies (and gents should they choose) – most of them from shops on Etsy.  They were placed in a basket before the ceremony with the sign ‘For Your Happy Tears’. I love the variety of colours and patterns on the hankies and hoped they would make a lovely gift for our guests.”

“I had started collecting many items like glassware and votives, which were used throughout, but as it got nearer to the wedding I decided to rent as much as I could. That’s when I came across Lulabelle. They provided so many of the items which created the finishing touches – such as the glassware, the votives, the vintage typewriter, and some more vintage tea-cups to complete my tea-party!

I also rented vintage books from them which were used throughout the house and worked well with the many quotes I had used on tables.”

“James didn’t really mind when it came it to the décor so I was kinda left to do my thing.”

“We also had a separate fruitcake. Have to say the mud cake was to die for! One of the other reasons why we were drawn to Cocoamoiselle is that Suzanne is also a confectioner and creates the most amazing home-made sweets and biscuits. We decided on a dessert table and filled it with jammy dodgers, custard creams, bourbon creams, turkish delight, honeycomb dipped in chocolate, macaroons, mini-cupcakes, sugar cookies and profiteroles.

We also had Boston cream doughnuts (James’ favourite), which Suzanne organised getting from another supplier. All I can say is that there was nothing left of the dessert table by the time we sat down for dinner. It was yummy!”

“We didn’t do a first dance – instead, the band started and everyone got up together. For us, we didn’t like the awkwardness (which it can be, sometimes) of the first dance, but also our wedding was an opportunity for us to thank everyone for all their love and support, so the wedding was as much about all of them as it was about us.”

Words of Wedded Wisdom…

“Stick to what you want for your wedding day. People will be quick to voice their opinions but stay true to what you both feel comfortable with. There were many ‘traditional’ aspects that we didn’t include in our day – such as the speeches (you could see the relief lift from our fathers’ faces when we told them that news and we definitely feel they were much more relaxed on the day for it), we also didn’t cut the cake or do a first dance. It was about what we wanted and not what we felt we should do.

If you can afford it, I would definitely recommend an ‘On the Day’ planner, especially if you have so many things to do like we did. Because of Claire, I was able to spend the day before the wedding sitting drinking coffee in one of Kilshane’s amazing rooms with James and my sister, instead of running around making sure everything was where it needed to be.”

“Search the internet for ideas! We only went to one wedding fair and I think I bought a handful of wedding magazines. Most of our ideas came from other weddings we had seen featured on blogs. They became my night-time reading.

We were really lucky with all our suppliers and I can’t say enough good things about each of them. I felt like I had made a whole new circle of friends because we had been in touch so often in the year or two coming up to the wedding. Take the time when choosing your suppliers, they really help to make your day and if they are that little bit more expensive – it might just be worth it!”

What a divine wedding dress, I want to pop it on and twirl all day long! Huge thanks to photographer David McClelland for so kindly sharing his work and many many congratulations to you both Linda and James – you look utterly fantastic and so happy together.

Readers – are you having a bespoke dress designed and made especially for your wedding day?

Love Annabel

 

Photographer – David McClelland
On The Day Co-ordination – White Sage Events Company
Venue – Kilshane House, Tipperary, Ireland
Brides Dress – Joanne Fleming Design via Vintage Bride, Dublin
Brides Shoes – Rachel Simpson
Bride’s accessories – brooch via Ben- Amun + earrings via House of Fraser
Groom’s Attire – Louis Copeland + House of Fraser
Bridesmaids Dresses – Charlotte and Jane, Kinsale, Ireland + Primark Shoes
Flower girl – Ted Baker at Debenhams
Page Boys – Debenhams
Florist – Buds and Berries
Cake – Cocoamoiselle
Entertainment – The Connor McKeon Band + Funky Functions (DJ) – Funky Functions
Favours – vintage handkerchiefs
Rings – David Search Jewellers, Southport
Stationery Designer – Pretty as a Picture
Makeup Artist – Kate Rose Crean

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